You are expected to attend class regularly and meet all requirements set by the instructor. When you miss a class because of an illness or unanticipated event, it is your responsibility to notify the instructor and provide an explanation. In the case of documented short-term absence due to illness or other unanticipated circumstance, instructors should provide reasonable effort to accommodate you in a way that maintains the integrity of the class.

Reporting an Illness

To help facilitate initial communication between students and instructors in the event of an illness, the College provides an Illness Reporting Form. To learn more, please visit the Reporting an Illness page.

In most instances, you are not automatically dropped from a class roster for non-attendance. Classes dropped after the drop deadline will result in a “W” on your transcript whether or not you have attended.

Even though you may be registered officially for a course, departments may give away your place in a course if you do not attend:

• the first meeting of biology, chemistry, or physics laboratories

• the first meeting of Sweetland Center for Writing or Psychology Department courses

• either of the first two meetings of English courses

• any of the first two meetings of language courses in the Romance Languages department

• the first two meetings of seminars and lecture courses and the first two lectures and the first discussion/lab section of courses with discussion/lab sections in Communication Studies

• first two meetings of courses in other departments

At the same time, departments are not obligated to withdraw you officially from the course, even if you have been informed that your place in a course has been taken away. You are always responsible for the accuracy of your own schedule.

There may be instances when you must miss class due to a commitment to officially represent the University (e.g. performing arts, scientific or artistic endeavors, or intercollegiate athletics). Absence from classes while representing the University does not relieve you from responsibility for any part of the course missed during the period of absence.

Within reason, an instructor should provide appropriate arrangements to you for missed work, providing such accommodations does not place unreasonable burden on the instructor or fundamentally alter the integrity of the course. When the absence coincides with an exam or other assignment due date, the options to make up missed work may be limited and will be determined by the instructor within the boundaries of the course.

The Office of the Provost's letter to the University community helps clarify the expectations for both students and faculty in meeting the demands of academic life and extracurricular activities in which many students participate.

See the Religious Holidays information on the LSA website.